Welcoming Derby's new theatre cluster and cultural quarter

The announcement this summer of a proposal to build a new 3,500 seat performance venue as part of the Becketwell area regeneration programme is a very encouraging step towards the vision of a “Cultural Quarter” for Derby. The new theatre would be situated right at the very heart of the new development (on the site of the former Pink Coconut nightclub) as well as being only a few minutes’ walk away from the restored Hippodrome.

The plan has been devised by Derby City Council working with St James Securities who have been working to develop the former Duckworth Square site into an area for shops, offices and apartments.

It will be a fully flexible space, capable of staging shows, comedy acts, bands and conferences, with secondary space of up to 400 capacity and is scheduled for completion in 2024.

It will offer a significantly larger a more flexible space than the city has had in the past. The Assembly Rooms held 1,700 people.

The venue is intended to appeal to a wider range of audiences in a purpose-built setting run by a nationally-respected operator.

Meanwhile, it has been an exciting year for the Derby Hippodrome which has taken a number of key steps forward towards funding the stabilisation of the building and its return to use.

The four theatres (Derby Hippodrome, Derby Theatre, the Becketwell Theatre and the Guildhall) would then collectively provide Derby with the performance spaces it requires to put on the broad range of productions enjoyed in many other UK cities. The Hippodrome would be an essential ingredient for helping to nurture up-and-coming, local talent through the city’s many high-quality amateur groups.

The outbreak of the Coronavirus has put a huge amount of economic pressure on city centres and has accelerated a trend for city centres to be less focussed on retail and more focussed on becoming a destination for experiences and leisure. In the process these attractions help to support a variety of other businesses especially those in the hospitality sector.

Derby has embraced this shift in and is activity pursuing opportunities to transform the city into a place where high quality residential areas sit alongside tourist attractions, public spaces and performance venues.

The Becketwell scheme fits in well with the Derby Hippodrome Restoration Trust’s aspirations for the future. We look forward to working together with other organisations across the city to transform this section of the city centre into an attractive, vibrant cultural hub providing residents and visitors with a choice of performances every week of the year.